REVIEW: NECA's Scalers

A Wireless World Slightly Cripples Cute Concept...

We live in an increasingly wireless world. Wireless cell phones, wireless laptops, wireless game controllers, wireless headphones. The list of electronic devices that are powered and connected via invisible frequencies is seemingly endless... and growing everyday. That's a good thing for a society on the go. It's a bit of a problem for NECA's cute new figure concept, Scalers.

Measuring a portable and collectible 2-inches tall, Scalers take well-known characters from NECA's large list of pop culture licenses and transforms them into stylized playthings. The selling gimmick of this line is the Scalers' ability to cling to cords, acting like a good luck charm. Almost any cord, wire, or string will do. However, therein lies the problem - I had to really search my house to find a cord to hang my Scalers on to. A retro house phone worked, as did a decorative curtain string and my feline's "floating" window throne. These locations all worked, but these were all places I didn't want my Scalers hanging around (though my cat would disagree).

Giving up on my wire search, I decided I'd just display the Scalers sitting down on a toy shelf. They are, after all, in a seated pose. Alas, Scalers are not designed to sit - their narrow butts and top heaviness toppling them over everytime.

That is not to say Scalers are a complete failure. For starters, the sculpts are absolutely adorable. With six popular characters in the initial assortment, there's bound to be a fan favorite (Jason is my fave). Construction is also top notch, each 2" character made of a nigh indestructible dense plastic. And best of all, Scalers really do scale well once you find a cord to place them on. While a little challenging to get both hands to firmly grasp the cord, once on, they do stay on well. You can even run the cord between their legs for a third solid connection point.

NECA's Scalers are a cute concept slightly crippled by a wireless world. Perhaps NECA can expand the idea to included "Huggers," collectible clip-ons similar to those clinging koala bears?

NECA's Scalers Wave 1 is in stores now and includes Freddy, Jason, Alien, Predator, Gizmo and Gollum. Scalers are priced as low as $2.99 each. More than 50 licenses will be incorporated into the Scalers product line, including Pacific Rim, Godzilla, Portal, Marvel and DC Comics.

Check out more photos of NECA's Scalers below, as well as in our Toy Fair gallery!